Austerity is what comes to mind when the City of Calvin is evoked. But the people of Geneva and the many visitors to the city have never stopped indulging in all types of activities, even when forbidden.
Jean Calvin considered Geneva “a perverse nation”.
Let’s take the side streets through different neighbourhoods in search of the places of pleasure and vice, discreet or out in the open depending on the period.
Geneva, city of pleasure and vice
This walk through several centuries will take us from the traditional working-class neighbourhoods of Pâquis and St Gervais, along the chic lake-front promenades, to the city’s historical centres in the Rues Basses and the Old Town.
Along the way, we will pass through present and past red light districts, former casinos and gambling places, cabarets … and more.
Red Light District Tour
This “hot” trail takes us from one red-light district to another through different time periods. Commercial sex work is legal in Switzerland today, but this was not always the case, especially in the City of Calvin.
Yet, throughout the centuries, Geneva has offered all types of sex-oriented services – visible or hidden – from prostitution to different types of adult entertainment. This walking tour starts in the Pâquis area and ends in the Old Town, passing through St. Gervais and the Rues Basses.
These tours are popular around Saint Valentine's Day and can end at a café in the Old Town located in a building that housed a medieval brothel.
From today's bustling Pâquis district to the Middle Ages in the Old Town
Tour duration: 2 hours
CHF 200 for the tour
Physically accessible for everyone, although there are some uphill paths and cobblestone streets in the Old Town.
